i've started to do this thing - which the vet tech recommended a long time ago, actually - which is designed to alleviate boredom for ruby and has the added bonus of entertaining me.  the game: i hide four treats around the apartment and wait for ruby to happen upon them and get excited.  or at least that's how it worked on the first day.  now ruby goes hunting for them!  there are only a handful of good hiding locations in my apartment - on the stairs up to the loft, on top of the refrigerator, on various window sills.  she just found one treat that i hid a few minutes ago and now is ON THE PROWL to all the usual hiding spots in the apartment to see if more treats are there.  it's pretty adorable.

cats: not smart enough to know you are hiding the treats, but smart enough to find them later.

insert obligatory cute ruby photo here.

("those papers you graded?  they're mine now.")